What it Means: Utes Land Raw but Intriguing OL Motuapuaka

The University of Utah received a commitment on Monday from Sione Motuapuaka out of Mililani HS in Hawaii. An under-the-radar pickup for the Utes, he has a massive frame -- 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. Utah beat out Washington State, Hawaii, San Diego State and Utah State.

He made his commitment known on social media on Monday.

What Utah is getting

The Utah coaching staff has minimal film on Motuapuaka, who has picked up football just recently. However, that film was enough to land a Utah offer, his first Power 5 offer and fifth total. Motuapuaka is rated a three-star prospect.

He’ll come to Utah as a raw project, but a highly intriguing one if he can add some weight. Utah’s line is deep enough that an instant impact type prospect isn’t an absolute “must” for the 2021 class. Therefore, Motuapuaka probably won’t be an instant contributor for the first 1-2 years.

What this means for the class

Motuapuaka is the eighth commitment for the Utes in the 2022 class and the first offensive lineman. The offensive side of the ball has been a major focus for the Utes, as there has been only one defensive commit (Aisea Moa). The Utes retained a lot of NFL-bound talent for a 2021 Pac-12 title run, many of them on offense, so expect the balance of commitments to continue to teeter to the side of the O in the weeks and months to come.

With Nick Ford likely on his way to the NFL and Bam Olaseni entering his last year of eligibility, the Utes have just one or two more 2022 offensive line spots left.